An older pickup winding machine, which requires the human operator to use an apparatus to guide the wire.
There is no question that magnetic pickups are at the core of our electric instruments, with some players and manufacturers going as far as saying they are all that matters. So, it's no wonder that pickups are surrounded by a lot of myths. Some manufacturers make bold claims and share flowery descriptions of what to expect, while at the same time failing to deliver at least some facts and meaningful data. The fact that invisible, mystical magnetism is involved doesn't help. But while it's easy to bash them for failing to deliver hard facts, we also have to ask ourselves whether we could understand this information and how far we're willing to dig into the technical basics.
Choosing pickups isn't easy! Not just because of the sheer number of models, but because most of us lack an understanding of detailed electrical and magnetic values, which most manufacturers don't provide anyway. Most pickup descriptions just share DC resistance and magnet material, which is what customers tend to discuss instead of learning to read wirings, a pickup's frequency response curve, or the interplay of different electrical values.
Luthiery schools teach far more about inlays and bindings instead of the basic physics behind the electronic circuits students will have to deal with. Not everybody has to be able to repair tube amps and electronics, but it would be helpful to know how to discuss the tonal influence of magnetic materials as well as how to handle a simple equation or an equivalent diagram of a resonant circuit.
Of course, terms like "resistance" and "capacitance" are familiar, but once a current in a magnetic field gets into motion, things will indubitably aggravate. Terms like impedance, inductance, resonant frequency, ohmic load, and eddy current don't make it less confusing, nor does the interplay between all those things. This opens the door for marketing claims and misinformation.
Choosing pickups isn't easy! Not just because of the sheer number of models, but because most of us lack an understanding of detailed electrical and magnetic values, which most manufacturers don't provide anyway.
Hand or machine?
We all have some legendary tones we're searching for, and there are lots of pickup manufacturers claiming to do exact replicas of our heroes' tools. But how close can they get?
You might guess it's sufficient to know the exact ingredients, like magnets, bobbins, wire, and the count of windings. Good luck finding the correct magnets—alnico can vary extremely, even among what is supposed to be the same type of alloy. Here, differences in magnetic force aren't the problem, but eddy currents (losses) are. It might be easier to get the right wire, since production consistency has improved a lot. And finally, there is the count of windings.
According to some manufacturers, this is not where it ends. In the early days of our instrument, pickups were wound by hand. They did have a motor to rotate the bobbin, but there was always a person standing next to the machine, guiding the wire by hand, which would lead to less consistent or loose windings, while an automated machine keeps tension and density constant. Handwound pickups are also called scatterwound, as the wires often crisscross diagonally over the bobbin. The theoretical result would be a slightly higher resistance, since more wire is used, and, thus, a minimally lower inductance and capacitance, but the differences are rather marginal since the lower density can lead to parts of the wiring being farther away from the stronger field. Practically, all these differences are hard to measure, and there should not be an inherent difference between handwound and machine-wound pickups.
Does zig-zag winding cause a different tone?
Fig. 1 — The right-hand rule—a common physics mnemonic for understanding the location of axes in a three-dimensional shape—for the Lorentz force (F) describes the force on a current-carrying wire (I=current) in a magnetic field (B) and shows the dependance of the angle (∝) between the two. (For the super nerd, also see Maxwell's equations and Faraday's law of induction.)
Courtesy of Wikimedia
Magnetic pickups work thanks to the changes in the magnetic field and flow via induction in the wires. Remember the right-hand rule of the Lorentz force from school physics [Fig. 1]? The main point here is the direct proportion of induction and right-angled orientation to the magnetic field gets smaller as a function of said angle 𝜶. In short: A diagonal wire has a longer run through the magnetic field but experiences the same induction signal as a straight one for an identical length of the magnetic field. The wire is longer and can have a higher ohmic resistance, but due to the pickup's long length and small depth, this difference is slight. It's therefore highly unlikely that the zig-zag pattern is causing a tonal change, rather than the unknown variance of eddy currents within the magnets. And it's even more unlikely that any of these patterns can be measured from outside a pickup, let alone distinguished!
So, we should be skeptical about the claims we read from manufacturers, whether it's from a company that claims it can identify 728 scatter patterns by measuring an installed pickup by using proprietary tools—as one pickup maker does—or whatever technical information it is that they won't share and we won't necessarily understand.
Can they make good pickups? Of course! Exact replicas? You judge.
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Effects Bakery MECHA-PAN BAKERY Series MECHA-BAGEL OVERDRIVE
Konnichiwa, guitar lovers! 🎸✨
Are you ready to add some sweetness to your pedalboard? Let’s dive into the adorable world of the Effects Bakery Mecha-Pan Overdrive, part of the super kawaii Mecha-Pan Bakery Series!
🍩 Sweet Treats for Your Ears! 🍩
The Mecha-Pan Overdrive is like a delicious bagel for your guitar tone, but it’s been upgraded to a new level of cuteness and functionality!
Effects Bakery has taken their popular Bagel OverDrive and given it a magical makeover. Imagine your favorite overdrive sound but with more elegance and warmth – it’s like hugging a fluffy cat while playing your guitar!
Resistance to digital amps might just be futile at this point. Many tunes you hear—and an increasing number of live gigs—feature a bit of faux-tube tone somewhere in the mix. But while the sound of pro-level modelers can be nearly indistinguishable from their analog counterparts in a mix, the feel and simplicity of a real amplifiers remain appealing and even indispensable to many players. That said, modelers that make usability, convenience, and price priorities can convince even die-hard tube users to see what’s on the other side of the fence. IK Multimedia’s TONEX ONE is one modeling device that might make the cut. It’s likely the smallest, most portable modeler out there. And at $179, it’s easily the most affordable.
Big Tones, Tiny Controls
The TONEX ONE isn’t designed to put a million different options at your feet, and that economy may be the unit’s strongest feature. It features several different modes, but the primary operating mode allows you to either switch between two different models, or simply use the unit as a stompbox. Each model can be an amp, an amp and cab, a pedal, or a pedal driving an amp and cab. Judging by how deep the online repository tone.net is for user-created presets, the options are nearly endless, which speaks to the already sizable user base. It’s a little strange to consider a modeler in a package this small with so few controls. There’s a large main knob that controls volume and gain (when you’re in ALT mode), and above that are three illuminated mini knobs that control the 3-band EQ, gate, compression, and reverb. You can also plug your headphones directly into the pedal, which makes it a dynamite silent practice amp.
My experience with modelers is that high-gain tones and clean tones are relatively easy to achieve and typically very good. After unboxing the TONEX ONE, I loaded up a slightly dirty Vox-style amp to evaluate the edge-of-breakup tones. I paired the pedal with humbuckers (with a coil split option), Stratocaster single coils, and P-90s in a T-style solidbody. With each one, the Vox-style amp was punchy and clear but could also range to very nice higher-gain sounds. Naturally, each version of a modeled amp offers different gain structures, so it pays to experiment. Combining the humbuckers in a PRS SE DGT with a few hot-rodded Marshall emulations and the growl offered tones nearly as good as those from much more expensive modelers. In a blind test, I’m not sure I could hear—or feel—much of a difference. As I explored further and fine-tuned things a bit more, the ToneX One felt more alive in my hand,s and sounded much less shrill in the top end than other digital solutions I’ve encountered.
One of the most obvious tone fixers in a modeler—and maybe one of the most underutilized—is the EQ section, and kudos are due to IK for placing those controls at the fore. Being able to adjust the most immediate tone-shaping options without having to dig through menus or touchscreens is a pleasure.
There are many possible uses for the TONEX ONE. It can serve as a high-quality direct solution on your pedalboard, a portable recording interface, and a plug-and-play practice solution when high volume is a no-go. One handy setup I tried was disabling the cabinet emulation in the pedal and then plugging into the effects return of a combo amp, in this case, a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. I immediately imagined many backline amp headaches being a thing of the past. You can always plug directly into a flat-response cabinet or PA system too.
Because it has such a small footprint and streamlined controls, harnessing the unit’s full potential, and accessing all the different modes, takes a bit of effort. You can store 20 different presets within the pedal and assign them to any of the three active slots (two for dual mode and one for stomp mode). And although doing this on the fly is handy, I found it much easier to program the presets via the easy-to-use desktop editor.
The Verdict
TONEX ONE benefits from a rather singular focus and its biggest advantage is that it’s not shrouded in unnecessary layers of tweakable options. You can simply load up a base sound or two, drop it at the end of your pedalboard, and go.The included software allows you create your own models and makes swapping presets easy. I did find the multitude of modes, and their color-coded indicators, a bit confusing at times, but IK’s documentation was very clear and got me through any trouble spots. The TONEX ONE would serve well to those who want to explore digital modeling but still hold on to their analog pedalboards, and at $179 it’s a steal.
If 3 Were 6
With six times the controls found on the 1 and 2 versions (if you discount the original’s on/off slider switch,) the LPB-3’s control complement offers pre-gain, boost, mid freq, bass, treble, and mid knobs, with a center detent on the latter three so you can find the midpoint easily. A mini-toggle labeled “max” selects between 20 dB and 33 dB of maximum gain, and another labeled “Q” flips the resonance of the mid EQ between high and low. Obviously, this represents a significant expansion of the LPB’s capabilities.
More than just a booster with a passive tone, the LPB-3 boasts a genuine active EQ stage plus parametric midrange section, comprising the two knobs with shaded legends, mid freq and mid level. The gain stages have also been reimagined to include a pre-gain stage before the EQ, which enables up to 20 dB of input gain. The boost stage that follows the EQ is essentially a level control with gain to allow for up to 33 dB of gain through the LPB-3 when the “max” mini toggle is set to 33dB
A slider switch accessible inside the pedal selects between buffered or true bypass for the hard-latch footswitch. An AC adapter is included, which supplies 200mA of DC at 9.6 volts to the center-negative power input, and EHX specifies that nothing supplying less than 120mA or more than 12 volts should be used. There’s no space for an internal battery.
Power-Boosted
The LPB-3 reveals boatloads of range that betters many linear boosts on the market. There’s lots of tone-shaping power here. Uncolored boost is available when you want it, and the preamp gain knob colors and fattens your signal as you crank it up—even before you tap into the massive flexibility in the EQ stage.
“The preamp gain knob colors and fattens your signal as you crank it up—even before you tap into the massive flexibility in the EQ stage.”
I found the two mid controls work best when used judiciously, and my guitars and amps preferred subtle changes pretty close to the midpoint on each. However, there are still tremendous variations in your mid boost (or scoop, for that matter) within just 15 or 20 percent range in either direction from the center detent. Pushing the boost and pre-gain too far, particularly with the 33 dB setting engaged, can lead to some harsh sounds, but they are easy to avoid and might even be desirable for some users that like to work at more creative extremes.
The Verdict
The new LPB-3 has much, much more range than its predecessors, providing flexible preamp, boost, and overdrive sounds that can be reshaped in significant ways via the powerful EQ. It gives precise tone-tuning flexibility to sticklers that like to match a guitar and amp to a song in a very precise way, but also opens up more radical paths for experimentalists. That it does all this at a $129 price is beyond reasonable.
Electro-Harmonix Lpb-3 Linear Power Booster & Eq Effect Pedal Silver And Blue
